title: Molecular and functional characterizations of a Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor FcKuSPI of the shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis.
abstract: Serine proteinase inhibitors play important and diverse roles in biological processes such as coagulation, defense mechanisms, and immune responses. Here, we identified and characterized a Kunitz-type proteinase inhibitor, designated FcKuSPI, of the BPTI/Kunitz family of serine proteinase inhibitors from the hemocyte cDNA library of the shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis. The deduced amino acid sequence of FcKuSPI comprises 80 residues with a putative signal peptide of 15 amino acids. The predicted molecular weight of the mature peptide is 7.66 kDa and its predicted isoelectric point is 8.84. FcKuSPI includes a Kunitz domain containing six conserved cysteine residues that are predicted to form three disulfide bonds. FcKuSPI shares 44-53% homology with BPTI/Kunitz family members from other species. FcKuSPI mRNA was expressed highly in the hemocytes and moderately in muscle in healthy shrimp. Recombinant FcKuSPI protein demonstrated anti-protease activity against trypsin and anticoagulant activity against citrated human plasma in a dose-dependent manner in in vitro assays.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Division, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, 216 Gijanghaean-ro, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan 619-705, Republic of Korea. heejkong@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Hee Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Ye-Ji
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: In-Suk
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Won Woo
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young-Ok
authors.initials: YO
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Bo-Hye
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Woo-Jin
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyungtaek
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: You-Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Cheul Min
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Sang-Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D033561:Penaeidae / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors
keywords: Anticoagulant; Fenneropenaeus chinensis; Hemocyte; Kunitz-type; Serine proteinase inhibitor